The Effect of Growth Concentration on In Vitro Shoot Multiplication of Crown Flower (Calotropis gigantea)

Abstract

Crown flower (Calotropis gigantea) as an herbaceous plant, is wildly recognized for its benefits as a medicinal plant. Phytochemical compounds which are contained in leaves, roots, and flowers of crown flower can be used as medicines. However, crown flower in Indonesia is still not optimal in their utilization. The study aimed to obtain the right concentration of growth regulators Benzyl Amino Purine and Indole Butyric Acid to stimulate optimal growth and secondary metabolites of crown flower. The study used a Completely Randomized Design arranged in a factorial design. The first factor was Benzyl Amino Purine and the second was Indole Butyric Acid. The data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance with a 5% level test. The interaction of Benzyl Amino Purine and Indole Butyric Acid significantly increased the number of leaves and shoot emergence time. However, medium without Benzyl Amino Purine improved the percentage of root emergence by 100%, the number of roots by 17.2 roots, and plantlet height by 7.45 cm. Optimal concentration was obtained in 3 ppm Benzyl Amino Purine, which produced the high shoot and emergence time, as well as the number of shoots and leaves. Higher flavonoid contents were contained in cultured plants than in conventional cultivation. Optimal growth and phytochemical content give an opportunity to increase the production and the use of crown flower as medicinal plant.